Through Me
by PrincessofBadLuck
Summary: Yuffie thinks about her love life, or lack thereof. She wishes Vincent could see what's right in front of him, and wonders if he ever will. Yuffentine. Companion fic to I See You.


I'd never had much luck with guys. I was always too loud, too tomboyish, too unladylike for the guys in Wutai. Plus I don't think they like it that they got their butts handed to them by me. What can I say? Being a great ninja I take no prisoners. Then, when I went off to gather materia for Wutai, stealing from guys didn't garner much favor for me either. I don't regret who I am. I make no apologies for what makes me, me. Though sometimes, I wish I could make men's eyes follow me. Like they did Tifa or the deceased Aerith.

Kinda sad that I was envious of the dead huh? Though sometimes, I just can't help it. It hurts. It hurts that guys look right through me. That almost everyone from AVALANCE was settling down with someone and I was alone. It made me feel like Cid's gruff (but affectionate) nickname of brat would always stick with me. I wasn't the graceful and elegant princess from fairytales, (though I was a real princess; I think I got ripped off when they were passing out princess traits.) just a silly thief.

I'd thought at sixteen, that if I could steal enough material for Wutai I'd save it. That I'd magically turn from the tourist trap it'd become, to the empire it was meant to be. I think I always knew that material wouldn't help. But, I guess I just had to believe it at the time. My dad had just given up on Wutai. The death of my mom, and the defeat from Shinra crushed whatever spirit he had left. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he didn't have the will to do anything. However, he'd lost the will to continue serving a country from which he'd lost so much. He'd left it to become the tourist trap it was now. Instead he submerged himself in the past. He trained new ninjas and retained his place as one of the Five Mighty Gods.

So I guess that's why he let me train to be a ninja. Cuz really, there are all these foreigners that say, "Wutai is so old-fashioned and bound by tradition." Um, yeah, then how is it that their princess is a ninja? While female ninja did exist, those women were from the lower class and often, they were saved from a life on the streets. As you can imagine that caused an uproar among my dad's council members. They were outraged that the princess of Wutai would train in such an occupation among the lower class. But my dad was firm in his decision to let me train to become a ninja. He may have chosen to bury himself in the past, but he hoped for a brighter future. That's why he enabled progress for women in Wutai. Mostly on my behalf , because I was to become the next Empress. Without, may I add, an arranged marriage to go with the title. Unlike so many others from royalty, I'd be able to take the throne alone, without having to marry.

This of course, upset some traditionalists, but once my dad pointed out Wutai was now one of the top 10 vacation spots in Gaia, the naysayers shut up. After all, it was the villagers of Wutai who let it happen as much as my dad. They were the ones setting up noddle houses and karaoke bars for tourists. Intent to use our culture as nothing more than a way to make money. Forgetting our roots and presenting only what they thought foreigners wanted to see. I'm not saying we should totally isolate ourselves and stick to the old ways. I mean look at me! I walk around in a tank top and shorts! But we should remember and stay true to the past, after all, by learning from it we can make a brighter future.

But enough about me and my issues with Wutai, like I said, I'm not good with guys. That's why despite everything else, I've never have Vincent Valentine. Besides, he's carrying more emotional baggage than an airport.! He actually reminds me of my dad. Stuck in the past, but hoping for a brighter future. That's why he bought a cell phone. Why, despite the fact that he told Cloud I had no right to call him, that he still acknowledged me.

I think I'm being a little too harsh on the guy though, he's not like that anymore. Sure, he's not exactly rainbows and butterflies, but he's laid some spirits to rest. Namely, Lucrecia and Chaos. They found him in her cave, but he's coming back, back to us, his present. I know he's left the past behind forever, because if he hadn't he'd have returned to his coffin. He wouldn't have agreed to come back to the world of the living. After all, when Reeve was in despair after Deepground destroyed the WRO, it was Vincent that told him to get up off his butt and keep trying. Well, not in those words, but still. It's these changes that give me hope, regardless of how ridiculous it may be. That maybe, someday Vincent will see me, instead of through me.


End file.
